You may find yourself looking at your dog and wondering just how much they understand. Well, it turns out some breeds are smarter than others. How the intelligence of a dog is measured varies and a highly intelligent dog from one breed may be a rare exception to the rule, or you may find yourself with a rather daft example of a traditionally intelligent breed.
With this in mind, a list has been compiled of the smartest dog breeds. While none of these dogs will be bringing home a degree any time soon, they are generally whip-sharp working breeds who have generations of selective breeding for a particular purpose to thank for their smarts. Terriers and herding breeds in particular feature a lot on this list, but you might find one or two surprises in the mix too.
English Springer Spaniel
The English Springer Spaniel is a gundog breed with seemingly endless energy. This breed is a great multitasker that tends to thrive with a job, making them great candidates for agility competitions and working homes.
Dobermanns are a guardian and companion breed that will want to be involved with whatever you're doing. They are rewarding dogs to train, as they are eager to please and love a new challenge.
Jack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell Terrier is a fantastic breed for country living, traditionally used to hunt foxes, they were also used as ratters due to their persistent natures. They love to chase and run, making them a bit of a handful to train, but can be great pets with the right tools. Remember that although they are small, terriers are working dogs and need a job to do (even if that job is to bring you a ball).
Welsh Corgi
The Welsh Corgi is another herding dog with oodles of intelligence. They are a feisty, stubborn breed known for being beloved by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Despite their stubbornness, they are very food motivated and therefore quite easy to train.
Papillion
Though small, the Papillion is a clever pup and you shouldn't be surprised if you see them cleaning up at an agility event. They are trainable and eager to please, with beautiful butterfly-like ears.
German Shorthaired Pointer
Another fantastic hunting breed, the German shorthaired pointer is a versatile gun dog. Not only are they talented at finding game (and pointing at it), they are good at retrieval and have a high prey drive, making them a great companion for hunting or shooting.
Rottweiler
The Rottweiler is a dependable dog, traditionally a herding breed, they also make great guardians as they are loyal and protective. They were used in Germany as butcher's dogs, sometimes pulling carts full of meat to market as well as herding animals to be slaughtered.
Flat-coated Retriever
The Flat-coated Retriever is a tenacious, trainable breed. They were bred to retrieve game on land and in the water and their long black or brown coats are reminiscent of their Setter ancestors.
Australian Shepherd
The Australian Shepherd is surprisingly, not all that Australian. Developed in California, these are the ultimate ranch dogs, great for working with large livestock such as cattle and horses, although they were originally bred to work with sheep.
Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is an athletic breed with lots of intelligence and trainability. They are friendly dogs, sometimes to a fault, and while they don't make great guard dogs they are lovely, loyal family pets.
Now you know the top 10 smartest breeds, find out which are the most adorable rare breeds: 10 Adorable Rare Dog Breeds in the UK - Forever Puppy